When is the best time to schedule my maternity session?

Details matter when you’re planning ahead for your photography sessions. There several factors to think about including where you want your session to take place, who will be included and the best time for your session to occur. Maternity sessions have a window of time that tend to make for the best photos. If you’re trying to figure out what those are, then I invite you to continue reading!

Maternity Session Timeline 101

Pregnancy is a beautiful season in life (even if you don’t feel your most beautiful). It’s a nine month time frame when your body undergoes rapid changes working to grow and bring your little one into the world. It’s also a moment in life that is preparing you for one of the biggest changes you will undergo both as an individual and as a family. With that in mind, it’s an amazing opportunity to get professional maternity pictures done.

The pregnant body looks different for everyone. The first trimester (especially if this is your first baby) often doesn’t have massive changes that are obvious to others around you (although you are likely starting to feel a tighter fit in your clothes and may have gone up a bra size or two…lol).

The second trimester is when things really start to happen. You may wake up one day and feel like you have all of a sudden “popped” and a baby bump has appeared. Maternity clothes are now a must, but your energy is back and you’re feeling a bit more like “you”. As you transition from the second trimester into the third you can get those maternity pictures done.

There are varying opinions on when to have pictures taken, however; I believe that if you have a bump that is big enough to show off and you feel ready, then go ahead and schedule them. This may be anytime between weeks 29-35 of pregnancy. A lot of change does happen in these seven weeks, most obviously, that bump is bigger if you wait till the 35 week mark. So it’s personal preference how long to hold off.

Some things to consider if you want to wait till later in your pregnancy for pictures:

Have you had any complications that might indicate an early delivery?

If you have had a high-risk pregnancy or signs of early labor or medical conditions that might lead you to bed rest later in your pregnancy, it may be helpful to have your pictures done a litter earlier in your pregnancy. This way you are not worried about fitting them in if something does happen and you’re not available later in your pregnancy like you were hoping.

Seasons and comfort

Some women experience a lot of swelling or weight gain in their pregnancy and this leads to feeling of discomfort or difficulty being on your feet for long periods of time. Also, if this is a second or third pregnancy, you may feel like you are bigger quicker (everything has already been stretched once, those muscles just aren’t the same so we get to poppin much quicker). Having photos done between weeks 28-32 just might make more sense. Also if you know there will be extremes in temperature it may impact how long you want to wait (or just schedule a studio session so you don’t have to worry about any of that).

Availability of others

If you have a partner who you are including in your photos who has limited availability (work travel schedule, lives at another residence out of town for work for periods of time, you’re moving, etc) it may be helpful to schedule your session around their availability or before you have a major change in your residence. So even if that means having your session a little sooner, you can wear outfits and strike poses that emphasize that sweet bump to ensure beautiful photos that accurately reflect this amazing time in your life.

If maternity photos are something you are wanting, then please reach out! I’d love to help you bring your vision to life.

Sincerely,

Rebecca